Electric shaver with flexible cutter holder

Abstract

The dry electric shaver includes a pair of movable cutter blocks reciprocatively movable by a drive bar with respect to a fixed perforated comb. The cutter blocks are coupled to the drive bar by a unitary one-piece plastic cutter support having a central body engageable with the drive bar and having coaxial torsion bars extending from the opposite sides thereof, the distal ends of the torsion bars being respectively integral with the midpoints of elongated arms disposed substantially perpendicular to the torsion bars. Each arm carries at each of its ends an attachment portion having an opening receiving a stake on the cutter block in press-fitted engagement. The cutter support is sufficiently resilient and flexible to accommodate varied movements of the cutter blocks independently of each other, while remaining relatively stiff in the direction of movement of the drive bar. A bias spring urges the cutter support and the supported cutter blocks toward shearing engagement with the comb.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a shaver including drive means for operating a movable cutter in shearing relationship with a fixed cutter, the improvement comprising: a unitary one-piece cutter support including mounting means fixed to the movable cutter and coupling means engageable with the drive means and responsive to movement of the drive means for moving said cutter support and the movable cutter in a predetermined direction, said cutter support further including flexible and resilient means interconnecting said mounting means and said coupling means for providing accurate alignment between the movable cutter and the fixed cutter, said flexible and resilient means including first means pivotally movable about a first axis and second means coupled to said first means for movement therewith and pivotally movable about a second axis, said first and second axes being substantially perpendicular to each other and to the predetermined direction of movement of the movable cutter. 
     
     
       2. The shaver of claim 1, wherein said cutter support is formed of plastic. 
     
     
       3. The shaver of claim 1, wherein the movable cutter includes a relatively rigid frame extending in the direction of movement of the drive means. 
     
     
       4. The shaver of claim 3, wherein said mounting means includes an aperture formed in said cutter support, and means on the movable cutter adapted for frictional press-fitted engagement in said aperture. 
     
     
       5. The shaver of claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes means for securing said cutter support to the movable cutter at a plurality of locations thereon. 
     
     
       6. The shaver of claim 1, wherein said flexible and resilient means includes means pivotally movable about a third axis which is disposed substantially parallel to the predetermined direction of movement of the movable cutter. 
     
     
       7. In a shaver including drive means for operating a plurality of movable cutters in shearing relationship with fixed cutters, the improvement comprising: a unitary one-piece cutter support including mounting means fixed to all of the movable cutters and coupling means engageable with the drive means and responsive to movement of the drive means for moving said cutter support and the movable cutters in a predetermined direction, said cutter support further including flexible and resilient means interconnecting said mounting means and said coupling means for providing accurate alignment between the movable cutters and the fixed cutters, said flexible and resilient means including first means pivotally movable about a first axis and second means coupled to said first means for movement therewith and pivotally movable about a second axis, said first and second axes being substantially perpendicular to each other and to the predetermined direction of movement of the movable cutters. 
     
     
       8. The shaver of claim 7, wherein the number of movable cutters is two. 
     
     
       9. The shaver of claim 8, wherein said coupling means includes a central body engageable with the drive means, said flexible and resilient means including support means carried by said central body at opposite sides thereof for respectively supporting the movable cutters. 
     
     
       10. The shaver of claim 7, wherein said flexible and resilient means includes means accommodating movement of the movable cutters independently of one another. 
     
     
       11. The shaver of claim 7, and further comprising bias means resiliently urging said cutter support toward shearing engagement of the supported movable cutters with the fixed cutters. 
     
     
       12. The shaver of claim 7, wherein said flexible and resilient means includes means pivotally movable about a third axis which is disposed substantially parallel to the predetermined direction of movement of the movable cutters. 
     
     
       13. In a shaver including drive means for operating a pair of movable cutters in shearing relationship with fixed cutters, the improvement comprising: a unitary one-piece cutter support, said cutter support including a body engageable with the drive means for movement thereby, two torsion bars extending from said body and each having a longitudinal axis, two elongated arms respectively integral with said torsion bars at the distal ends thereof, each of said arms having spaced-apart mounting portions for attachment to a corresponding one of the movable cutters at spaced-apart locations thereon, each of said torsion bars being torsionally movable with respect to its associated axis to accommodate pivotal movement of the corresponding arm with respect to said axis, and each of said arms being movable with respect to said body substantially parallel to a plane which is parallel to the axis of the corresponding torsion bar. 
     
     
       14. The shaver of claim 13, wherein said torsion bars are coaxial. 
     
     
       15. The shaver of claim 14, wherein the axis of said torsion bars is disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the drive means. 
     
     
       16. The shaver of claim 13, wherein each of said torsion bars is integral with its corresponding arm intermediate the ends thereof. 
     
     
       17. The shaver of claim 16, wherein said mounting portions of each of said arms are respectively disposed at the opposite ends thereof. 
     
     
       18. The shaver of claim 17, wherein each of said mounting portions includes an opening formed in said arm, and further comprising projections on the associated movable cutter respectively adapted for press-fit engagement in said openings. 
     
     
       19. The shaver of claim 13, wherein each of said arms includes an elongated central portion integral with the corresponding torsion bar, and a pair of upstanding end portions integral with said central portion at the opposite ends thereof and inclined with respect thereto, said mounting portions being respectively carried by said end portions at the distal ends thereof. 
     
     
       20. The shaver of claim 13, wherein the drive means has a drive axis and includes means cooperating with said cutter support to inhibit rotational movement thereof about the drive axis.